Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: None. Location: Cortez, Colo. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot made three prior attempts to land, but aborted each landing due to gusty crosswind conditions. On the fourth attempt, the airplane “ballooned” and encountered a strong wind gust. The pilot was unable to maintain control and the airplane landed […]
Fuel selector mix up for Cessna
Aircraft: Cessna 140. Injuries: 1 Serious. Location: Burlington, Wis. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The pilot took off with the fuel selector set to the right fuel tank, which was full of fuel. About 30 minutes after departure, he made a touch-and-go landing at his destination airport. During the climb out when the airplane […]
Cessna pilot encounters microburst
Aircraft: Cessna 182. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Thornton, Colo. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The pilot, 41, had logged more than 18,000 hours, including 8,200 in the Cessna 182. There was no record of him obtaining a weather briefing prior to the accident flight. Weather forecasts predicted fast moving thunderstorms with high wind gusts […]
Night flight, night crash
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee 6. Injuries: 2 Serious. Location: Bridgeport, Conn. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to regain night currency, which had lapsed two weeks before. The pilot, who was familiar with the airport, said he intended to perform three full stop landings. According to the […]
Ignoring published MAP proves fatal for two
Aircraft: Beech A36. Injuries: 2 Fatal, 1 Serious. Location: Charlevoix, Mich. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The accident happened during an instrument approach in low IFR conditions. According to the pilot’s logbook, his most recent instrument proficiency check was completed on June 25, 2010, and at the time of the accident, the pilot had […]
Grass compromises Waco’s wing
Aircraft: Waco Classic YMF-F5C. Injuries: None. Location: Charleston, Ill. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot performed a precautionary landing in a field because he thought the engine was running rough. After the landing, he decided that the airplane was airworthy, and attempted to take off from a nearby gravel road. During the takeoff […]
Rushed pilot breaks airplane
Aircraft: Beech A36. Injuries: None. Location: El Monte, Calif. Aircraft damage: Substantial What reportedly happened: An avionics and flight instrument upgrade were completed on the morning of the accident. The pilot had intended to fly the airplane on a cross-country flight later in the day. This was to be the first time he had flown […]
Pilot knowingly flies malfunctioning airplane
Aircraft: Cessna T210. Injuries: 4 Fatal. Location: Armonk, N.Y. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: Witnesses observed the 4,150-hour pilot doing multiple engine run-ups both on the parking ramp and at the end of the runway prior to departure. They reported that the engine initially idled rough. Shortly after takeoff from runway 34, the pilot […]
Departure stall for Cherokee
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee. Injuries: 3 Fatal, 1 Serious. Location: Guntersville, Ala. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The private pilot, 52, had logged at least 500 hours, including 200 in the Cherokee, at the time of the accident. Several witnesses saw the airplane become airborne about two-thirds of the way down the runway. It then […]